Exterior wall protection for grain elevators, etc.



A 1936. P. DROLSHAGEN 2,049,493

' EXTERIOR WALL PROTECTICN' FOR GRAIN ELEVATORS, ETC

Filed Aug. 3, 1935 Imam: Fete/7 prolsh/agew Patented Aug. 4, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE EXTERIOR WALL PROTECTION FOR,

, GRAIN ELEVATORS, ETC.

Peter Drolshagen, Chicago, 111. Application August 3,, 1935, Serial No. 34,550

2 Claims.

The present invention pertains to novel and improved means for protecting or shielding the exteriors of concrete grain elevators or similar structures.

Grain elevators of this type are frequently of comparatively large size, say, for example, 100 feet tall and 30 feet in diameter.

They are necessarily exposed to the weather new ones develop unless the outside of the structure is adequately and properly protected and shielded from the damaging elements involved.

Accordingly, one of the principal aims and prime purposes and one of the salient features of the present invention is the provision of new means for rendering such structures invulnerable to the injurious factors involved.

Therefore, this invention comprises encasing or enclosing the elevator or the like or similar structure in a shell or housing of thin metal, such as copper, the sections or'parts of which are fitted together at their margins in a manner to permit expansion and contraction both horizontally and vertically and the metal sheets comprising the shell or outer covering are so mounted on the concrete structure that the casing may be installed with comparative ease and facility and in a manner to keep it out of contact with the concrete or with any metal, as otherwise corrosion, electrical disintegration or chemical decomposition or dissolution is likely to set in.

In order that those acquainted with this art may fully understand the invention bothfrom structural and functional standpoints, a'present preferred embodiment of the same has been illustrated in detail in the accompanying "drawing to which reference should be had in connection with the following detailed description of the construction illustrated, like reference numerals, for simplicity, having been employed throughout the several views of the drawing to designate the same mechanical elements.

Referring to this drawing:-

Figure 1 is a fragmentary elevation of a portion of a concrete grain elevator encased in a sheet-metal housing incorporating the principles of this invention;

Figure 2 is an enlarged vertical section on line 2-2 of Figure l;

Figure 3 is an enlarged horizontal section on line 3--3 of Figure 1; this scale, however, being less than that of Figure 2;

Figure 4 illustrates in-section one of-the hori-' zontal seams of the metal casing; and

Figure 5 shows one of the vertical seams or joints.

By reference to this drawing, it will be noted that the concrete wall of the grain elevatoror similar structure is designated by the reference numeral l l, and it is such a wall which requires protection from the elements by the encasing shell embodying the present invention.

At suitable points, cavities or recesses l2, l2 are drilled into the outer surface of the concrete structure, and into each of these an expansion-bolt I3 is inserted-in-theusual manner to be firmly and securely held in place.

Each such bolt has a head M at one side of its shank or axis and through an aperture through such head extends a bolt l5, the head lfiof which It, the countersunk recess and the'head of the bolt being of such shape and size as to prevent the bolt from turning.

Each such bolt I5 fastens to theexpansion bolt 1 a metal bracket I! having a channel-shaped part adapted to fit partially around and to accommodate and hold in place a horizontal wooden strip I8 sawed partway through at intervals in its back side at l9 to permit it to conform readily to the curved contour of the exterior of the elevator against which it snugly fits.

The outer surface of such wooden member is slotted vertically at 2| at those points where the brackets are located, so that the outer faces of such brackets are positioned inwardly away from the exterior surface of the wooden element,all as is clearly depicted in Figure 2.

Such wooden pieces would not ordinarily be long enough to extend completely around the elevator and they maybe in sections secured together as occasion requires.

The supporting brackets for each such horizon- :25 is countersunk in the back face of the bolt head These wooden strips are spaced apart vertically a distance corresponding to one dimension, such as the width, of the copper sheets to be employed in connection therewith.

At proper points, upright wooden strips 22 are located between, supported by, and fastened to the horizontal wooden members in any approved or suitable manner, these vertical strips being spaced apart a distance in conformity with. the other dimension, such as the length, of the metal sheets, and, in addition, these upright strips are arranged in staggered relation as shown in Figure 1.

Each such copper sheet or plate 23 has its top edge portion 24 bent outwardly and downwardly and its lower marginal portion 25 offset outwardly slightly and bent inwardly and upwardly between the main body of the next lower sheet and its part 24.

Thus all of the copper sheets are interlocked or interconnected together along their horizontal edges in a manner to shed rain or water sufficiently and efiectively.

At suitable points, each flange 24 is pried up somewhat to permit the driving of a flat-headed copper-nail 26 through a hole in the body of the sheet into the wooden member back of it, whereby all of these nails assist in supporting the metal casing in position, the flange being hammered down after the nail has been driven home.

In order to provide for, and to compensate for, the difference in the coefiicients of expansion and contraction of the concrete structure and of the copper, sheathing, the interlocked or inter' fitted parts of the adjacent copper sheets are so related that the internal structure II and the outer structure 23-23 may expand and contract substantially independently of one another.

To this end, a space is left between the lower edge of each part 24 and the bent-in part 25, as shown in Figure 4, and also the top edge of part 25 is somewhat down and away from the top edge of the other sheet.

Hence, each pair of plates or sheets may move up and down slightly relatively to one another under the action of heat and cold.

One vertical edge of each plate or sheet 23 is bent over outwardly to form a flange 2'! parallel to, and spaced slightly away from, the adjacent surface of its sheet, and the opposite edge portion of the same sheet is offset outwardly slightly and bent over inwardly and practically parallel to the inner face of the sheet to comprise a flange 28, the flanges 21 and 28 of meeting sheets being interfitted as shown in Figure 5 and each upright joint is much the same as the horizontal connections already described and it has the same capacity for expansion and contraction.

The upright margins of these sheets are fastened to the vertical wooden strips by copper nails, as are the horizontal margins of the same sheets.

Thus the copper casing is made in sections havi ing loose or sliding joints with one another along all four edges, in this manner providing adequately for the difierences in expansion and contraction of the main concrete or analogous structure and the comparatively-thin metal-casing enclosing the same.

It should be noted also that the copper shell contacts only with the wood and copper nails and that neither the shell nor the nails touch the metal brackets or their supports or the concrete structure, thus insuring the prevention of electrolytic action and disintegration due either to electrolysis or chemical action by reason of the contact of two different kinds of metal.

A protective structure of the type and character illustrated and described is comparatively easy to erect, it is relatively inexpensive, the copper being quite thin, it performs its intended functions adequately, and it possesses long life.

Even if the copper becomes corroded on the outside, such external coating acts to protect and to preserve it from further corrosion or oxidation.

While only one embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described, those skilled in this art will readily understand that it is susceptible of embodiments in other forms and that various major and minor modifications may be resorted to without departure from the heart and essence of the invention and without the loss or sacrifice of any of its material benefits and advantages.

I claim:

1. The combination of a concrete structure having recesses in its outer surface, expansion bolts-and-nuts in and protruding outwardly from said recesses, metallic brackets, means fastening said brackets to said bolts, substantially-hon zontal spaced-apart non-metallic 'furring-strips mounted on said brackets, said furring-strips being recessed for the accommodation of said brackets, whereby the latterdo not extend to the outer surfaces of said strips, substantially-vertical non-metallic furring-strips mounted on said substantially-horizontal furring-strips, a sectional sheet-metal protective casing enclosing said structure, the horizontal and vertical joints'between the edge portions ofsaid casing sections being almost fiat and comprising interlocking flanges bent over from the main bodies of said metal sheets and having capacity for sliding engagement with one another, whereby to permit the structure and its protective casing to expand and to contract substantially independently of one another, and nails fasteningsaid protective casing to said non-metallic substantially-horizontal and substantially-vertical furring-strips beneath said joints, said nails contacting only with said casing and said strips.

2. The structure presented in claim 1 in which brackets to such bolts comprises other bolts occupying said openings and the heads of which 

